Principles of Separation
by trufaith1388
Summary: He's nineteen now and so many things have changed: his height, his voice, his calm steadiness. Nearly everything about him seems so different. But so many important things are still exactly the same. Emma looks at him and she still sees that excited little boy, babbling about fairy tales and sword fights and Operation Cobra. SwanQueen family future fluff


**A/N:** This was just supposed to be a short fluffy oneshot, but the more I wrote the more I kind of loved this verse. So there might be a very good possibility of more stories with all these guys. Oh, and this follows canon (mostly) up until they get back from Neverland, so no missing year.

Emma moves carefully through the house, her steps quiet and sure. She slides along the wall of the hallway, stopping short at the corner. She takes a deep breath and raises her gun. She slowly peeks around the wall and she sees her. The Evil Queen in all her glory. Emma silently steps up behind her, pressing the barrel of her gun to the back of The Queen's head.

"It's over, Regina. There's nowhere left to run." A dark, quiet laugh rumbles out of the woman in front of her as she glances back over her shoulder. The hairs on the back of Emma's neck stand up. 'It's a trap', she realizes, but it's already too late.

The vest across Emma's chest beeps and flashes. She sighs as Regina turns to face her with a smirk.

"Cheaters." She gives Regina a disapproving glare. "Both of you." She spins and turns her glare on the seven year old now standing behind her.

"It's not cheating, Mama, it's strategy." Ali says with a shrug, her plastic gun still pointed at Emma. "And so is this." She fires at Regina, whose vest beeps as it starts its own thirty second cooldown. Ali grins and takes off down the hall, leaving her mothers gaping after her.

"We've created a monster," Regina says.

"Oh no, that is all you." Allison Mills might look just like Emma, but she is every bit Regina's daughter.

"Maybe, but you gave her that innocent face that lets her get away with it." Emma just stares at her wife blankly, counting the seconds.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Emma finally says with her best innocent face as Regina's vest lights back up, only to immediately flash again as Emma shoots her. Regina glares and Emma gives her best cheesy, over-the-top smile.

"I want a divorce."

"Sure thing, hun. As soon as I school these kids in some laser tag." Emma pecks Regina on the lips and takes off down the hall after their daughter.

"You're just going to abandon me here unarmed?" Regina shouts after her.

"Absolutely, you're not to be trusted," Emma throws over her shoulder. "Love you, mean it," she adds, before disappearing around the corner.

"I am married to an idiot."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know I totally _let_ you win because it was your last game before you abandon us for college tomorrow." Henry smirks as Emma hands him another plate to dry.

"Really? Because it _seemed_ like you were trying to sneak up on me and Zach and you tripped over the rake and somehow shot yourself. Ya know, because you're old and frail now." Emma gasps dramatically and Henry laughs.

"Just for that, you're washing the rest of the dishes by yourself." Emma flicks the soapy water from her hands at her son's face. "Little shit," she mumbles with a grin as she leaves the kitchen.

Emma walks into the living room to find her wife and daughter together on the couch, Ali with her sketchpad and Regina with a book, while their three year old plays with Henry's old action figures on the coffee table.

"Mama!" he yells as he stands and runs to her.

"Zach attack!" She grabs the boy under his arms and slings him up onto her shoulders. He giggles and tugs gently at her hair.

"Where we goin', Mama?"

"I dunno buddy, you're driving."

"Umm…," he taps out an awkward rhythm on the top of her head and she grins. "Let's go to Mommy!" Emma quickly spins to face Regina, keeping a tight grip on Zach's legs. She crosses the room with big exaggerated steps, swaying them both from side to side and he laughs. She pauses in front of the couch and Regina puts her book down and smiles up at them.

"Look what I found." Emma tickles the boy's legs and they both smile at his giggles. "Can we keep him?"

"Hmm," Regina stands up with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know, dear." She slowly circles the pair and Emma chuckles as she feels Zach sit up a little straighter. "He seems smart, certainly handsome…"

"And I can use the potty!" he shouts with a bounce and they both laugh.

"Well alright then, I suppose he can stay." Zach laughs and leans toward Regina, who easily scoops him from Emma's shoulders. "My sweet boy," she whispers into his light brown hair as she hugs him to her. "Where's Henry?" she asks Emma.

"Finishing the dishes as punishment for calling me old," Emma answers as she sits on the couch beside Ali. "Which means _somebody_ just moved up a slot to my second favorite family member," she says and slings an arm around her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," the girl rolls her eyes.

"Don't thank me, you earned it." Emma leans over trying to get a look at Ali's sketchpad. "Whatcha drawing, kiddo?"

"What _is_ she drawing," Regina corrects her in a playful voice, her eyes never leaving Zach as they join them on the couch.

"We gotta speak proper, Mama," Zach says as he leans forward and grabs Spider-Man and Hulk from the coffee table.

"That's right, my darling," Regina tells him with a smile, taking the Hulk toy offered to her and growling as she walks it across Zachary's legs toward his Spider-Man.

"Fine," Emma sighs, turning back to her daughter, "What _is_ you drawing?" She hears Zach giggle behind her and Regina elbows her in the side. Emma finally gets a good look at Ali's sketchpad and immediately recognizes the face on it as Henry's. "Wow," she whispers.

She realizes Ali is drawing the picture from Henry's high school graduation two months ago that's currently hanging in the hallway. Allison is just over seven so the lines aren't quite straight and the proportions of Henry's face are a little off, but she's also drawing it from _memory_ and Emma is nearly floored with pride for her daughter.

"That's _amazing_, Ali." The little girl looks up at her with a shy smile.

"Thanks, Mama." Emma smiles and kisses her on the forehead.

"You're actually my favorite," she whispers conspiratorially. "Don't tell your mother."

"I heard that," Regina says, her voice still playful as she adds, "Hulk smash!" as Hulk and Spider-Man collide in mid-air over her lap. Emma and Ali both roll their eyes and laugh.

"Alright!" Henry walks into the room with a clap of his hands. "Who's ready for an Avengers marathon?" He's met with a chorus of groans from everyone except Zach, who squeals excitedly as he slides off the couch and runs to his older brother.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ma." Emma hears the deep, quiet rumble of her son's voice. "Ma, wake up." She slowly opens her eyes, blinking them a few times until she can focus on Henry crouched in front of her.

"Hey," she says in a sleep-thick voice as she stretches. "What happened?"

"You guys fell asleep like rookies." He smirks and she swats at his shoulder.

"We should get the kids to bed," Regina says through a yawn as she lifts her head from Emma's shoulder. They all look down at Zach snuggled into Regina's side and Ali's head in Emma's lap.

"Don't worry, I got 'em," Henry whispers as he gently picks Zach up. The little boy immediately burrows into Henry's broad chest and both women smile. "Come on, Ali-Kat," Henry runs his fingers through her hair until the girl blinks awake. "Time for bed." She slowly sits up and leans over to hug both of her mothers as they all exchange 'goodnights'.

Ali turns back to her brother, still crouched in front of her, and wraps her arms around his neck as she lays her head on his shoulder. The one hour, morning workout Henry started in high school, along with some very intense growth spurts, have made him one of the biggest and strongest guys in town since he was sixteen. He wraps an arm around his sister and stands, holding both his siblings with ease.

"Night, guys," he whispers to his mothers with a grin then turns and heads for the doorway. They both echo their goodnights after him as they watch him go.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" they hear Ali's voice trickle down the stairs, and Emma reaches for Regina's hand.

"Sure, Ali-Kat. But you're still not getting my room."

"S'okay, mine's better anyways." They hear Henry's quiet chuckle and Emma gets a flash of exactly the kind of father her son might be one day, of the good man they've somehow managed to raise. She feels tears well in her eyes. Regina squeezes her hand as she looks over at her with a sad smile.

"I'm fine." Emma glances up toward the ceiling with a quick sniff and then lets out a long breath. "I'm fine," she says again with a reassuring nod. Regina squeezes her hand again as she laces their fingers together.

"Let's go to bed, dear. Big day tomorrow." Emma nods again. They both stand and slowly follow after their family.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The alarm goes off and Emma groans. Regina chuckles as she reaches over and turns it off. They lie in silence for a few moments, letting their brains fully wake up. Then Emma slowly slides over and curls into Regina's side, wrapping her arms around her and resting her head on her wife's chest. Regina silently runs her hands along Emma's arm and back, neither of them wanting to be the one to say it.

"He can't leave if we just never get out of bed, right?" Emma finally says. Regina laughs again and runs a hand through Emma's hair.

"I have no doubt he would just physically carry us outside to see him off. He is your son, after all." Emma breathes out a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, you're probably right." They fall back into silence for a minute and the air gets a little heavier. "Everything's going to change, isn't it?" she whispers.

"Not everything." Regina kisses the top of Emma's head and tightens her arms around her.

"It _feels_ like everything," Emma says with a sigh.

"I know, dear" Regina whispers and kisses her again. "I know."

After a few minutes they both finally feel brave enough to face the day and they slowly get out of bed and head down the hall to Henry's room. They quietly open the door and Emma nearly bursts into tears on the spot.

Zach is sprawled across Henry's chest and Ali is curled up against his side. Henry's arm is around his sister, her little hands wrapped around his bicep as she uses it for a pillow, and his hand is on his brother's back, gently holding him in place. Regina holds out her hand and her camera appears in a puff of white smoke. She raises it and twists the lens, getting the zoom just right, before snapping a few pictures.

The quiet clicks of the camera are just enough to rouse their oldest son, who looks down at his siblings and smiles. He brings his other hand up to gently ruffle Zach's hair and kisses the top of his head. Emma sniffles and brings his attention to the doorway.

"Morning." He smiles sleepily at his mothers.

"Morning," they both whisper and Emma sniffles again.

"I know," Henry says with a grin, "we're adorable." Emma rolls her eyes at him and Regina just snaps another photo.

"Breakfast in twenty minutes," Regina whispers, her hand lightly scratching at the small of Emma's back as they turn toward the hall.

"Right," Henry says through a yawn and closes his eyes, "twenty minutes."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're _sure_ you've got everything?" Regina asks for the third time.

"Yes, Mom," Henry laughs as he shuts the trunk of his black Mustang, a graduation gift from his mothers. "I double-checked the list this morning. And then you checked it half an hour ago." He walks around the car to stand in front of his family, which now includes Snow and David with their five year old son Elijah, and one year old Anabelle in Snow's arms. "Besides, anything I forget I can always grab when I come to visit at the end of the month. Which is only three weeks away," he stresses as he places a hand on each of his mothers' shoulders. "It'll be fine."

"Aren't we supposed to be telling you that?" Emma asks and Henry just grins.

"Please, we all know I'm the only sensible one around here." Emma and Regina laugh and Henry squeezes their shoulders before making his way to his grandparents to start his goodbyes. David reaches up and grips the sides of Henry's shoulders.

"Don't drink too much, and if you do _please_ just call a cab."

"I will, I promise." David nods and holds out a hand in front of him. Henry just rolls his eyes and wraps his arms around his grandpa in a tight hug.

"Oh," David adds as Henry pulls away and turns to his grandmother, "and crazy girls are only fun for the first week. After that they're just crazy."

"David!" Snow scolds and he just shrugs as Henry laughs.

"No, I can vouch for that," Emma backs up her dad. "They are not worth it, dude. Just say no."

"Oh really?" Regina asks. "And exactly how much 'vouching' can you do on that subject, Emma?"

"Practically none," Emma says quickly. "Just what I've read mostly in… articles and seen… from… afar," she finishes with a wide smile.

"Mmhmm," Regina hums sceptically as she turns her attention back to Henry, who's making faces at Ana while she giggles.

"Yes, I'll miss you too." Henry kisses his aunt on the forehead before Snow hands the little girl off to David. Snow has been crying pretty consistently since they got here twenty minutes ago. But it's a quiet, dignified kind of cry that Emma's never quite been able to pull off.

"It's a big world out there, Henry." Snow reaches up to brush his cheek. "Don't lose yourself in it."

"I won't, Grandma." He leans down to kiss her cheek, and she pulls him into a long hug, Henry's large frame nearly swallowing her whole. Snow finally lets go, and moves back to David's side with a watery smile.

Henry turns toward his mothers and Emma panics. She's not ready yet.

"Kids!" she yells, "come say goodbye to Henry!" Ali, Zach, and Eli all come running over from the front porch and Henry just grins at her knowingly. Emma feels Regina's hand on the small of her back, gently rubbing in slow circles.

"Just breathe, Emma," she whispers.

"I'm fine," she whispers back.

"Of course you are, dear." Regina leans over and kisses her cheek and Emma takes a deep breath.

"Thanks for my new toys, Hen'y." Zach holds up the old Iron Man he's been playing with all morning.

"You're welcome, buddy." Henry ruffles his brother's hair as he kneels down in front of all three kids. "Remember what I said though, share them with Eli like I shared them with you, okay?"

"Cuz' I'm a big boy and big boys share." Zach beams up at him.

"That's right." Henry gives him a hug, lifting him up off the ground and Zach squeals and giggles. Henry sits him back down and turns to Elijah. "You're the man of the house now, Eli." The little boy puffs out his chest as he stares up at Henry through his shaggy brown hair. "You take care of your mom and dad and Ana for me, okay?"

"Okay Henry, I will." Eli sticks his hand out stiffly as he tries to straighten out his back even more.

"You guys are killing me with this handshake nonsense," Henry says with a laugh as he scoops the boy up and stands to spin him around. Eli is still laughing a minute later when Henry finally lowers him to the ground. "See? Hugs are always better than handshakes. Remember that, okay?"

"Yes, sir," the boy says with a smile and Henry shakes his head.

"Ewi, you wanna be Iron Man?" Zach asks as he shoves the toy at him, and the adults all laugh as the boys take off running in circles after each other. Henry watches the boys for a minute with a smile, then turns to look at Ali, who's trying so very hard not to cry. The sight breaks Emma's heart.

Henry had been _very_ protective of Ali when they were younger. Ali had been a complete surprise for all of them. Apparently, if two women with powerful magic, who are in love - even if neither of them was anywhere near close to admitting it then - sneak off to have really hot distraction sex in Neverland, one of them can miraculously end up pregnant. The whole situation had completely scared the shit out of both of them, but eventually they'd managed to figure it out. They later decided to announce that they had been dating(ish), were currently pregnant, and planned to be married all at the same time. It was not one of their best ideas.

People had been immediately suspicious. Of Regina, of the 'magical baby', of Emma's sudden willingness to marry a woman who just a year before had tried to kill her, the town had not been on board with any of it. A few of them still weren't (though none of them had really caused any trouble since right before Zach was born and Jafar had come after them in Granny's only to have Regina nearly kill him on the spot).

Kids had teased Ali a few times out in town, that Regina wasn't really her mother, or that she was some sort of magical freak, but mostly they'd managed to shield her from it. Then the summer before Ali started school, Henry had asked his mothers for a weightlifting bench. He had stayed with her that entire first day of kindergarten, all six feet and two hundred pounds of him standing silently in the back of the room, using that patented 'Mills glare' to intimidate the hell out of anyone who even glanced at his sister in a way he didn't like. Ali had adored him ever since.

"Hey." Henry's soft voice brings Emma back to the present. She wipes at a stray tear as Henry picks his sister up and she immediately throws her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Henry holds her tight as he whispers in her ear. Emma can't hear what he's saying, but she can see Ali's face over his shoulder, nodding every few seconds as tears start rolling down her little cheeks.

Emma reaches back for Regina, who slides her arms around Emma's waist and melts into her side.

"Breathe, darling," she whispers against Emma's skin, her own voice a bit shaky, as she kisses her temple. Emma nods and takes another deep breath.

Ali leans back enough to look at Henry, who lifts a hand to gently wipe the tears from her face. He whispers something else and she laughs quietly as she nods again. Henry presses his lips to Ali's forehead and holds her for a few more seconds before slowly lowering her back to the ground.

"I can't do this," Emma whispers as another tear escapes. She sees Henry turn toward them out of the corner of her eye but Regina holds up a hand to him and he stays where he is.

"Yes, you can," Regina says, calm but stern. "He's just going to college, Emma. Not overseas to fight the Germans for God's sake." Emma laughs under her breath and shakes her head.

"You're right, I'm just - I'm overreacting."

"Clearly. Now, man up." Emma takes one last deep breath and wipes at her tears.

"Thank you," she says sincerely, "for always being a sarcastic bitch when I need one."

"It's what I'm here for, dear." Regina smiles and pecks her on the lips as she gestures for Henry to make his way over. "I'll go first while you get your hysterics under control." Regina smirks as she moves around her to stand in front of their son.

Emma watches as Regina and Henry just look at each other for a moment, a thousand silent things passing between them. Regina reaches up and runs her hands through hair she can barely reach anymore.

"My sweet boy," she whispers and Henry smiles.

"I love you, Mom," he says simply and wraps his arms around her.

"I love you, too."

Emma smiles at them and glances over at her parents. Eli and Zach have stopping running at some point and are now standing in front of her father, who has a hand on each of their shoulders. Snow, who is _definitely_ still crying - because apparently it's _totally fine_ if _Snow White_ does it, whatever - is holding Ana again with a still slightly teary Ali tucked into her side. Her mother gives her a soft smile and Emma responds in kind before turning back to her wife and son.

He and Regina part with another smile and then suddenly Henry is in front of her, staring down at her with that lopsided grin. She remembers the first time she saw that grin, on a hopeful, demanding ten year old as he burst into her apartment uninvited.

"Hey, Ma," he says quietly, still grinning at her.

He's nineteen now and so many things have changed: his height, his voice, his calm steadiness. Even his hair, trimmed short on the sides and just barely spiked up in the front. Nearly everything about him seems _so_ different. But so many _important_ things are still exactly the same. She looks at him and she still sees that excited little boy, babbling about fairy tales and sword fights and Operation Cobra. It breaks her heart and makes her smile at the same time.

"Hey, Kid." His smile grows wider at the word and so does hers. "None of this," she gestures around at their town, their house, their _family_, "would even be possible if it weren't for you, Henry." His smile turns shy and he ducks his head for a moment.

"Well I did have a _little_ help." Emma chuckles as she raises a hand to either side of his face. She lets her nerves settle for a second, tries to clear the emotion that's blurring her eyes.

"You saved my life in every possible way, Henry Mills." His eyes start to glisten and Emma knows if he cries she'll be a complete mess. So she wraps her arms around him instead. Her hands dig in between his shoulder blades and he hugs her back just as tightly. "_Thank you_ for getting on that bus, Kid," she whispers.

"Well _somebody_ had to bring you home, Ma." She breathes him in one last time and stretches up just enough to kiss his cheek. Then she lets him go. Regina's arm is immediately around her waist when she steps back and Emma could not be more grateful for her wife than she is in this moment.

"God," Henry says as he covertly wipes at a tear, "you guys are all insane. I'll be back in _three weeks_."

They all laugh at that. And no one mentions that it's not when he comes back that matters, but that he's _leaving_. That any time they have with him after today will always be borrowed, always be minutes on a clock constantly ticking down to when he's back to being hundreds of miles away from them again. No one has to.

"But seriously," Henry starts again, "you guys know that if something happens, like curses or witches or trolls," he pauses to look sincerely at his mothers, "that you should definitely _not_ call me." Regina laughs and Emma rolls her eyes as Henry grins and makes his way to his car. "I mean I'm gonna be really busy with football and parties and dates. If you did call I probably wouldn't even have time to answer."

"Oh my god, just go," Emma says with a laugh. He gets in the car and starts it, still talking through the open window.

"I probably won't even respond to text messages for days. I'll have to change my email."

"Goodbye, you ass." Emma leans through the car window to give him another kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful," Regina adds as she does the same.

"I'll call you guys when I get there. Maybe." He winks and starts backing down the driveway. He stops on the street, waving and yelling that he loves them all, before he takes off down the road. Eli and Zach yell their goodbyes until the car turns a corner and finally disappears from sight. They all stand there, watching the same spot and soaking in the moment, until Snow finally breaks the silence.

"Okay, who wants pizza?" The boys yell excitedly and take off toward the house. "Come on," she says to Ali with a smile, "You can help your grandfather order it. He's terrible with computers."

"_Terrible's_ a bit harsh, Snow," David adds as he follows behind them. "I'm definitely adequate, at least." Emma smiles and sniffs one last time as she leans into her wife.

"We did good," Regina says after a moment and Emma just stares at her. "That's what we're supposed to say here, right? We watch our children leave the nest and then we turn to each other and say 'we did good, honey'."

"Yeah, I guess so," Emma says with a laugh as they turn and head toward the house.

"We did though, didn't we?" Regina says quietly with a smile.

"Yeah." Emma smiles back and wraps an arm around Regina's shoulders as she presses a kiss to the side of her head. "Yeah, we did."


End file.
